This invention relates generally to means and methods for keeping records and relates more particularly to monitoring devices for keeping track of the number of hours worked during a period comprised of a preselected number of work days.
Regulations have evolved which limit the number of hours that commercial drivers, such as truck and bus drivers, may drive or work over a period comprised of a preselected number of consecutive work days and which require that records be maintained and updated to reflect the number of hours driven or worked during the most recent consecutive work day period.
Currently, regulations restrict the number of work hours that a truck or bus driver may work to sixty hours during a seven-day period or seventy hours during an eight day period. Whether the seven or eight day period applies to a driver may depend upon the nature of the truck or bus operation for which the driver works. Moreover, the regulations also limit the number of hours that a driver is permitted to drive over the course of one work day. In order for the driver to comply with these regulations, he must, at the end of each day, record the number of hours worked during that one day and update his record to reflect the hours worked in the most recent seven or eight day period. In continually updating the record, the driver must on a daily basis add the hours for the previous six or seven days worked and subtract the total from sixty or seventy to determine the number of work hours still available in the period. The alternative is to review the previous seven or eight day total, subtract the oldest entry and add in the hours worked during that one, i.e., current, day. Either method is laborious and subject to errors which may result in violations of the regulations or exposure to fines.
Violations of the regulations may also occur when drivers, either through lack of mathematical ability, human error, or failure to comprehend the regulations either fail to or mistakenly calculate their work hours correctly and therefore exceed the limitations on their duty hours. If such violations are discovered, fines or other penalties may result. Mistaken calculations may also result in the failure to complete an assigned delivery date on time due to an unrealized lack of available time in which to complete the delivery. In addition, non-monitored or improperly monitored hours may lead to driver fatigue and increase the likelihood of accidents as a result of fatigue-related mental errors.
Thus, it can be seen that failure to properly compute the number of hours worked and/or the number of driving hours available within a preselected time frame may lead to fines, freight delays and/or accidents.
It would be desirable to provide a new and improved device for monitoring the number of hours worked over a preselected period of consecutive days.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device which readily informs the user of the number of hours remaining during a preselected period of days that he is permitted to work.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a device which readily informs a user of the number of hours that he is permitted to work during the next day of the period in light of the number of hours during the period in which he has already worked.
Yet another object is to provide such a device which provides the user with an indication that the maximum permitted number of work hours during the preselected period has been exceeded.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a device which is easy to use and effective in operation.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a device which also includes a calculator.